Software problems!!! Please help!!

I am so frustrated right now, and I would appreciate some advice. I am not new to Macs, but I am having a problem I can't figure out. My iMac has the latest OS X, and it was working perfectly when I left for work this morning. I have had a recurring problem. There seems to be a bug in my computer because it will not come back alive when it goes to sleep. I usually have to hold down the power button and shut the whole thing off. I avoid this problem by simply turning the computer off when I'm not using it. I know that I could have turned off the sleep option, but it wasn't necessary since I don't leave it on anyway.

Well, it seems that my girlfriend started up the computer after I left for work. There were 9 new updates to install. So she clicked "install," and then she decided to go back to bed for a while. She never clicked "restart" or anything else, but somehow the computer turned off during the interim. I came home for lunch, booted up the machine, and now none of the software will run. Safari won't launch. After a few seconds of trying to open the program, it says "Safari quit unexpectedly." Very few programs will run. iTunes does the same thing, and even my Full Tilt Poker application refuses to launch.

I tried re-installing software from the Mac OS X disk, to no avail. I even tried archiving and re-installing the operating system (which failed). Now the OS X disk refuses to eject even when I hold down the mouse button. I am afraid I will have to erase and reformat the hard drive, but I will lose all my data.

So, does anyone know how to get the OS disk out? I want to start up on the hard drive and copy my sensitive data to a backup drive.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to get the software running without re-installing the OS?

How do I get rid of the sleep bug? My mom has an iMac that does NOT have that particular problem.

Thanks.

Thanks. Getting the CD out isn't my biggest problem. Does anyone else have this "sleep" issue? What about software that fails to launch?

liketom said:

if your power failed before you installed the updates from software update - next time you do restart it will ask you if you want to install them.

if not - use the install dvd to repair your permissions on your drive ( on boot hold down C and choose disk utility from there.. or maybe a full back up with time machine for your files and a fresh wipe of the HDD and a new install then use time machine to recover files.

Click to expand...

OK, that's more like it. Thanks for the tips.